The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a two-week ultimatum to the federal government to meet its demands or risk a nationwide strike.
NARD made the declaration in a communiqué issued yesterday (Wednesday) after its virtual extraordinary national executive council meeting.
The communiqué was signed jointly by NARD’s national president, Dr Innocent Orji, secretary general, Dr Chikezie Kelechi and the publicity and social secretary, Dr Umar Musa.
Recall that members of the association embarked on a five-day warning strike on May 17 and also urged the federal government to address its concerns before May 29 otherwise there would be industrial disharmony.
Some of their demands are the immediate implementation of a minimum of 200 per cent increment in the consolidated medical salary structure, upward review of the associated allowances, release of the circular on one-for-one replacement of clinical staff who have been lost due to brain drain as well as the release of the implementation guideline by the office of the head of the civil service of the federation which should have been sent out on or before June 5, 2023 for transmission to tertiary hospitals for implementation.
“NEC demands the immediate payment of the 2023 MRTF as contained in the approved 2023 budget in line with various agreements we’ve reached with the government.
“NEC calls on the government to, without further delay, pay all outstanding arrears owed our members, including the hazard allowance and the skipping arrears of 2014-2016, and the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum wage, as there is no justifiable reason to keep owing these arrears and allowances.
“We demand the immediate release and implementation of the guidelines on one-for-one replacement of clinical staff to cushion the effect of the massive manpower shortage in our various hospitals nationwide.
“NEC calls on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to discontinue the downgrading of the membership certificate issued by the West African Postgraduate Medical and Surgical colleges as this is not obtainable in other parts of West Africa were these same certificates are issued.
“The NEC of NARD insists on the immediate implementation of a minimum of 200 per cent increment in the CONMESS salary structure and an upward review of the associated allowances, as requested in her previous letters on the subject matter since the current economic realities in the country cannot justify the continued payment of CONMESS as it is at the moment or any increment below the 200% as demanded.
“NEC demands the immediate payment of all salary arrears, implementation of the CONMESS salary structure and new hazard allowance and domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act and payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund to our members in the State Tertiary Health Institutions nationwide,” it said.
The association said using the current parameters, for the members to be returned to the same expenditure level of CONMESS when it was implemented in 2014, an upward review to the tune of 550 per cent is required.
The resident doctors also said the 2023 medical residency training fund (MRTF) had yet to be paid as agreed during the conciliatory meeting and that the skipping arrears too had not been paid several years after repeated request for it to be paid.
Besides, NARD called for the immediate release and implementation of the guidelines on one-for-one replacement of clinical staff to cushion the effect of the massive manpower shortage in hospitals nationwide.
“Our members now find it difficult to transport themselves to work and carry out other numerous responsibilities required of them as medical doctors because of these factors,” NARD added.
“NEC hereby wishes to further extend her already expired ultimatum issued to the Government by 2 weeks with effect from today July 5, 2023.
“For purposes of emphasis, at the expiration of this further extended ultimatum by 19th July 2023, if all these demands are not met, we cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the Health Sector nationwide,” NARD stated.
